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Monday, August 15, 2011

Thai Airways Market or ตลาดการบินไทย

The Perks of Working at Thai Airways

I was an intern at Thai Airways a few years back. I answered emails, telephones, worked in ticket sales, hunted down mysteriously lost mileage points, gave input for advertising slogans, edited newsletters and even sat in on a few press conferences. Oh what did I learn, you ask? Well! Did you know there's this really great market behind Thai Airways?!

I Fly Thai, and I Buy, Behind Thai

The front area, closest to the Thai Airways headquarters, is non-aircon, narrow sois with lots of children's toys, clothes, imported Japanese snacks, and older Thai lady outfits. There's also some cute stalls interspersed that sell Zara and Topshop knockoffs, and of course lots of cold weather clothes for all those Thai Airways employees jetting off to God knows where.

The back area, connected to the non-aircon, but further from the main building, is open air but each shop is air-con. Here you will find the H&M and Topshop ferried in from overseas flights and even Thai brands like Sretsis and Kloset. And not the obvi fake Kloset that's been popping up left and right, but real pieces a few thousand cheaper than Paragon. Real, first hand pieces, bought for a discount by the shop owner. Goes without saying that selection is very limited.

I found a couple cute skirts and a 'Fendi' dress. Fendi straight from the sweatshops of Guangzhou more like it. Things are even more pricey than Siam here, with mostly imported and branded goods. Lots of Class A bags to turn your coworkers green with envy, and curiosity as to how you can afford them, if that's your thing.

How to Shop There

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am-4pm, Closed on Sunday [Caution: Mon-Fri from 12-1pm you will be engulfed in a moshpit of office ladies]How to get there:Enter from Viphavadee Rangsit Soi 22 or from the back of the Thai Airways headquarters, on the main Viphavadee Rangsit Rd. MRT Ladprao is closest, or BTS Mor Chit/MRT Chatuchak Park are a bit farther away but still convenient. Take a motorcycle (no more than 60Baht from BTS Mor Chit, less from MRT Ladprao) or taxi from there. Don't ask me about buses.

The air-con shop section of Thai Airways Market:

The non-air-con section, cheaper, non-branded, non-imported and more likely to be seen in Siam too:

2 comments:

Brings back some memories. I have an old college friend who lives back on a soi behind Thai Airways, and I use to see that market and I stopped by and strolled through it once. ( Not quite as big as it seems now). What a great memory!